Carpet anchor



March 17, 19513 R. M. ROBERTS CARPET ANCHOR Filed April 27, 1951 INVENTOR. AOY /VL-RoE/ens @Y Hfs AT1-ORNE Ys.

- Heee/s, K/ecH, FOSTER 3n HRR/s Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARPET ANCHOR Roy M. Roberts, Arcadia, Calif., ass'gnor to The Roberts Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 27, 1951, serial No. 223,211

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the carpet and/or rug laying art and, more particularly, to a carpet fastener for laying carpet and/or rugs more securely and more effectively than has been possible with prior art carpet fasteners.

In prior art carpet fasteners it is customary to provide an elongated mounting strip having provided thereupon a plurality of prongs or barbs which are directed in such a manner that they will engage the edge of the carpet with which they are associated to maintain said edge in tension to hold the body of the carpet in a predetermined position. In order to so vmaintain the edge of the carpet, the prongs or barbs are usually either vertically positioned with respect to the strip in which they are mounted or angularly inclined in a direction toward the wall of the room in which the `strip is utilized and away from the center of the carpet. When the carpet `is installed, the edges thereof are mpaled upon the prongs or barbs While maintained in tension.

However, as the carpet is subjected to continual use, the fibers thereof tend to lengthen and there are minute increases and variations in the overall area of the carpet which tend to relieve the tension originally imposed upon the edges of the carpet and to cause said edges to travel laterally in directions toward the walls of the room, thus permitting the edges of the carpet to be released from the prongs or barbs upon which they are impaled.

After a plurality of the prongs or barbs has been released from the edges of the carpet because of the lateral movement of said edges, induced by the aforementioned expansion of the fibers because of prolonged usage of the carpet, it becomes necessary to entirely relay the carpet, occasioning the expenditure of considerable sums of money upon the part of the owner of the estab- .lishment in which the carpet is laid and also necessitating the removal of any molding which may have been utilized to trim the edges of the carpet.

It is, therefore, a primary object of my invention to provide a carpet fastener which includes primary fastening means adapted to engage the edge of a carpet to maintain the body of said carpet in tension and secondary fastening means associated with said primary fastening means for restraining the aforementioned edge of said carpet from movement in directions which would cause the release of said edge from said primary fastening means. Of course, it is also intended that the carpet fastener of my invention be used to secure rugs and other similar floor coverings, if so desired.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a fastener lfor carpets which includes va vrn-our'iting strip having secured. thereto a plurality of primary fasteners adapted to engage the 'edge of a carpet to maintain the body of said carpet in tension and which has mounted thereupon a plurality of secondary fasteners for engaging said edge, tending to prevent the movement of said edge in directions which would cause release of said edge from said primary fasteners.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a carpet fastener of the aforementioned type in which the primary fasteners are oriented in one direction and the secondary fasteners are oriented in another direction, the orientation of the primary fasteners in the one direction maintaining the edge of the carpet in tension and the orientation of the secondary fasteners in the other direction preventing lateral and upward movement of the edge which would cause the aforesaid edge to be released from said primary fasteners.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a carpet fastener of the aforementioned type which includes an elongated mounting strip having secured therein a plurality of primary fasteners which project upwardly from the upper surface thereof at an angle With said upper surface and in a direction toward the Wall of the enclosure in which the fastener is utilized and which provides a mounting for a plurality of secondary fasteners which project upwardly from the upper surface of the mounting strip at an angle whichis in a direction different from the direction in which the primary fasteners are oriented.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a carpet fastener of the aforementioned type in which the mounting strip is provided with a plurality of rows of fastening means, said rows being constituted by interspersed primary and secondary fasteners so that the tension inducing effect of the primary fasteners and the restraining effect of the secondary fasteners may be equally distributed along the edges of the carpet.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a carpet fastener of the aforementioned type which includes an elongated mounting` strip providing a first row of fastening means arranged in 'substantial parallelism with a second row of fastening means, lboth of -said rows being lconstituted Vby a plurality of interspersed primary and secondary fasteners, the primary fasteners in the first row being positioned opposite the secondary fasteners in the second row and the primary fasteners in the second row being positioned opposite the secondaryrfasteners in the rst row to equaliz'e the tensioning and restraining effects of said primary and secondary fasteners, respectively.

Another object of my inventionfis the provision of a carpet fastener which includes primary fastening means for maintaining the edge of a carpet under tension and secondary fastening means for restraining the edge of said carpet against movement in directions which would cause the release of said edge from said primary fastening means, said primary fastening means being longer than said secondary fastening means t facilitate the impalement of said edge upon said primary fastening means prior to the impalement of the edge of said carpet on said secondary fastening means.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a carpet fastener which includes a plurality of fastening means, said fastening means providing first, tension maintaining portions and second, restraining portions, said tension maintaining portions being adapted to maintain the edge of a carpet in tension and said restraining portions being adapted to prevent the movement of said edge in directions which would cause the release of said edge from said tension maintaining portions of said fasteners.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a carpet fastener which includes fastening means of the aforementioned type in which said tension maintaining portions are oriented in directions different from the directions in which said restraining portions are oriented,

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, which is for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional View showing a carpet fastener constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, partly sectional View taken on the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse, partly sectional view showing a carpet fastener constructed in accordance with my invention associated with the edge of a carpet;

Fig. 4 is an alternative embodiment of the carpet fastener of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view showing fastening means adapted to be utilized in conjunction With the carpet fastener of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing an alternative embodiment of a fastening means adapted to be incorporated in the carpet fastener of my invention; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse, partly sectional view showing a carpet fastener constructed in accordance with my invention and utilizing the fastening means shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, I show a carpet anchor or fastener I0 which includes an elongated strip, said strip being constituted by a plurality of Superimposed laminae i2, I3 and I4 formed of Wood, or other material, laid with their grains at right angles and affixed to each other by means of glue or a similar substance. Supported in the elongated mounting strip i i is a plurality of fastening means which includes primary fastening means I6 and secondary fastening means I'I.

The primary fastening means It are constituted by enlarged head portions I9, said head portions have integrally formed therewith elongated shank portions 20 which terminate in conical impaling portions 2I. It will be noted that the conical impaling portions 2| of the primary fastening means IG are maintained a substantial distance above the upper surface of of the lamina I2, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below. The primary fastening means I6 are driven through, or otherwise secured in the elongated mounting strip II and have their longitudinal axes inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane of the elongated mounting strip II and toward the front edge 32 of the mounting strip II.

The secondary fastening means il includes head portions 24 which have integrally formed therewith cylindrical shank portions 25, said shank portions terminating at their upper ends in conical impalement portions 23. 1t will be noted that the longitudinal axes of the secondary fastening means are angularly directed with respect to the horizontal plane of the elongated mounting strip I l and toward the rear edge 33 of the elongated mounting strip. Also worthy of note is the fact that the substantially cylindrical shank portions 25 of the secondary fastening means I'I are shorter than the substantially cylindrical shank portions 23 of the primary fastening means I6 so that the conical impalement portions 26 of the secondary fastening means Il are maintained at a lower elevation with respect to the upper surface of the top lamina I2 of the elongated mounting strip ii than are the conical impalement portions 2l of the primary fastening means I6, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below.

The primary and secondary fastening means i6 and I1, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, are arranged in substantially parallel rst and second rows 28 and 30, respectively, the rst and second rows 28 and 33 being substantially parallel, in turn, with the front edge 32 and the rear edge 33 of the elongated mounting strip II. It will be noted that the primary and secondary fastening means I3 and I 'i are interspersed one among the other in the individual rows so that said fastening means are alternately positioned along the length of the first and second rows 28 and 30. Furthermore, the fastening means of the first and second rows are so arranged that the primary fastening means IS of the first row 28 are disposed opposite the secondary fastening means Il of the second row 30 while the primary fastening means I6 of the second row 39 are disposed opposite the secondary fastening means I1 of the first row 23. Therefore, as best seen in Figs. 1-3, the spaced pairs of oppositely disposed primary and secondary fastening means I6 and I'i in the rows 28 and 30 have their axes alternately intersecting and diverging. The interspersion of the primary and secondary fastening means in the rst and second rows 28 and 3Q, coupled with the disposition of the primary and secondary fastening means in paired relation across the v rows, evenly distributes the load imposed in the edge of the carpet 35 by the primary and secondary fastening means.

When a carpet 35, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, is installed by the use of the carpet fastener Ill of my invention, the elongated mounting strip II is secured to the floor 31 of the room or enclosure in which the carpet is being laid by means of glue, tacks or similar expedients, it being noted that the front edge 32 of the elongated mounting strip I I faces and is spaced from a wall 39 of the room or enclosure a distance which is somewhat less than the over-al1 depth of the carpet. A carpet pad di) whose thickness is ,substantially equalV to the thickness dof the elongated mounting .strip II is then deposited on the surface of the floor 3l with one of its edges adjacent the rear edge 33 of the elongated mounting strip II, the upper surface of the carpet pad i0 and the upper surface of the lamina I2 of the elongated mounting strip II constituting a substantially even and uniform supporting surface for the backing e2' of the carpet 35.

During the process of installation, the carpet 35 is placed under tension at its edges by ap propriate tools, not shown, and when thev desired tension is achieved the backing t2 of the carpet 35 is impaled upon the conical impaling portions 2| of the primary fastening means I6. The signicance of the greater elevation of the conical impaling portions 2| of the primary fastening means I6 above the upper surface ofthe top lamina I2 of the elongated-mounting strip I'I at once becomes apparent, since it permits the backing 42 of the carpet to be impaled upon the conical impaling portions 2| of the primary fastening means IB without the substantial impaiement of the somewhat lower conical impaling portions 25 of the secondary fastening means I1 in the bac ing, thus preventing the conical impaling portions 25 from entering the backing sufficiently to prevent the proper tension from being imposed upon the edge of the carpet 55 as it is impaled upon the conical impaling portions 2l of the primary fastening means in.

After the backing i2 of the carpet 35 is initially impaled upon the conical impaling portions 2l of the primary fastening means IE, it is then impaled upon the conical impaling portions 26 of the secondary fastening means Il. The free edge portion e5 of the carpet 35 is then tucked into the space between the front edge 32 of the elongated mounting strip II and the wall 39.

The edge of the carpet 35 is thus maintained i in tension, the tensional force being exerted in the direction of the arrow Il? bythe impalement of the backing S2 of the carpet 35 on the primary fastening means I5. However, as previously explained, it is possible that during prolonged use the bers and backing 42 of the carpet 35 may expand slightly tending to urge the edge of the carpet 35 laterally in a direction toward the wall 35 of the room or enclosure, as indicated by the arrow 48, and concomitantly causing buckling of the edge of the carpet 35 upwardly in a direction indicated by the arrow 49. Such lateral and up- Ward movement ordinarily causes the backing 42 of the carpet 35 to be released from some, if not all, of the primary fastening means I6 thus releasing the edge of the carpet 35 from its tensional impalement upon the primary fastening means E6 and necessitating the relaying of the carpet to place the edge of the carpet under tension once again. If garnish molding has been utilized in laying the carpet, removal of the garnish molding prior to the relaying of the carpet is also necessary.

Although described as used in laying wall-towall carpeting, the fastener can also be used to secure the edges of a carpet adjacent a hearth, door opening, or other location.

However, when the carpet fastener I of my invention is utilized, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to lay the car-pet 35, the initial tension imposed thereupon in the direction of the arrow lii by the impalement of the backing 42 of the carpet 35 upon the primary' fastening means I is continually maintained by preventing the backing 42 of the carpet 35 from being' released from the conical impalement portions-2| ofthe primary fastening means I6 throughthe` medium of the secondary fastening means I1 Whose conical impalement portions 2t engage the` backing 42 of the carpet 35 'to prevent the'movement of the edge of the carpet 35 in lateral and upf ward directions as indicated by the arrows' '48 and 39, respectively, which would cause the backing 132 of the carpet 35 to be urged and lifted o'if the conical impalementportions' `2l of the primary fastening means I5.

It will be noted that the longitudinal aies of the primary fastening means I5 are angularly inclined in a direction toward the front edge 32 of the elongated mounting strip II and the wall 35 of the room or enclosure in which the carpet is laid. Conversely, the longitudinal axes of the .secondary fastening means I'I are angularly inclined in a direction away from the Wall 3'9 of the room or enclosure and toward the rear edge 33 of the elongated mounting strip II. Thus, when the backing i2 tends to shift in the directions of the arrows i8 and 49, the lateral and upward. movement of the backing 42 is prevented by the impalement by the conical impaling portions 25 of the secondary fastening means I7, which thus serves to preventA the release of the backing 42 from the primary fastening means I6.

The arrangement of the primary and secondary fastening means in parallel rows and in alternating positions causes the tensional load created by the impalement of the backing 42 of the carpet 35 upon the conical impaling portions 2 of the primary' fastening means I6 to be equally distributed along the edge of the carpet while the restraining effect of the conical impaling portions 26 of the secondary fastening means Il is equally distributed in a like manner.

An alternative embodiment of my invention is exemplified in a carpet fastener 50 shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, wherein identical components are identied by identical reference numerals. In the carpet fastener 50, the primary fastening means I5 have their longitudinal axes angularly directed with respect to the top surface of the top lamina I2 and also angularly directed toward the front edge 32 of the elongated mounting strip il. It will be noted that, as inthe previously discussed carpet fastener Il), the conical impalement portions '21 of the primary fastening means I6 project a substantial distance' above the upper surface of the top lamina I2 of the elongated mounting strip II,

The secondary fastening means l1 of the carpet fastener 50` are secured in the elongated I'nunting strip I I with their longitudinal axes substantially vertical and normal to the horizontal plane of the elongated mounting strip I`I. lWhen so positioned in the elongated mounting strip Il, the conical impalement portions 26 of the secondary fastening means I1 do not project as far above the top surface of the topf lamina I2 of the elongated mounting strip Il as do the conical impalement portions 2I of the primary'faste'nng means I6. Thev different orientations o'f'the primary and secondary fastening means I6 and I1 and the difference in the length of the primary and secondary fastening means' serve to accomplish the desired ends of maintaining' the edge of a carpet thereupon against inadvertent and undesirable release from the carpet fastener 50 and also facilitate the installation'of the edge of the carpet thereupon.

Shown in Figs. 5 and 7 of the .drawing are fastening elements 55 which include venlarged head portions 56 which constitute bases for substantially cylindrical shank portions 51, said shank portions having conical impalement portions 58 formed integrally therewith at the upper ends thereof. It will be noted that the longitudinal axes of the fastening elements 55 are angularly inclined toward the front edge 32 of the elongated mounting strip I l. Provided on the Shanks 51 of the fasteners 55 are integrally formed barbs 59, said barbs facing in the direction of the rear edge 33 of the elongated mounting strip Il, Thus, the conical impalement por- 'tions 58 of the fastening elements 55 constitute primary fastening means while the barbs 59 provided thereupon constitute secondary fastening means, the conical impalement portions 58 being adapted to maintain the edge of a rug in tension while the barbs 59 are adapted to prevent lateral and upward movement of said edge of said rug to prevent the inadvertent release of the rug from the impalement portions 58 of the fastening elements 55. Therefore, when the fastening elements 55 are utilized in conjunction with an elongated mounting strip Il to provide a carpet fastener 60 it is not necessary to incline the longitudinal axes of the fastening elements 55 in different or opposite directions since the restraining effect of the secondary fastening means embodied in the barbs 59 of the fastening elements 55 which are oriented in opposite directions accomplishes the restraining function of the secondary fastening means in the previously discussed embodiment of my invention.

An alternative embodiment of the fastening means of my invention is exemplified in a fastening means 65, as best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the base portion, not shown, of which is identical with the base or head portion 56 of the fastening means 55, said base portion having integrally formed therewith a cylindrical shank 66. Formed adjacent the upper end of the shank 56 is a tapered portion 61 which is surmounted by a conical impalement portion 65. The juxtaposition of the tapered portion 61 of the shank 66 to the under side of the conical impalement portion 68 provides an annular shoulder 69.

Although I have only shown and described the fastening means 55 and 65, it should be obvious that within the scope of my invention will fall fastening means having at the upper ends thereof cross-sectionally expanded areas which provide both tensioning and restraining portions.

When the fastener elements 65 are mounted in an elongated mounting strip Il they are inclined with their longitudinal axes oriented toward the front edge 32 of the elongated mounting strip I l in the same manner as the fastening elementsl 55.

When so oriented, the conical impalement portion 68 of the fastener elements 65 may be inserted in the backing of a rug to maintain the rug in tension. When so inserted, a portion of the annular shoulder 69 provides a barb-like area 10 which serves, in a manner identical with that in which the barb 59 of the fastener element 55 functions, to restrain the rug impaled upon the corneal impalement portion 68 of the fastener B5 to prevent lateral and upward movement of the rug in directions which would tend to release the rug from the conical impalement portion 68 of the fastener 65. Therefore, the fastener element V55 can be said to provide primary fastening means constituted by the conical impalement portion 68 of the fastener element 65 and secondary fastening means constituted by the barb-like portion of the annular shoulder 69.

I thus provide by my invention a carpet fastener which is adapted to maintain the edge of a rug or carpet in tension and which incorporates fastening means adapted to prevent the inadvertent and undesired release of said rug from said fastener.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a carpet retaining device, the combination of a mounting strip; a plurality of primary fasteners projecting upwardly from said strip and inclined toward one edge thereof for engag ing an edge of said carpet by the backing thereof to maintain the body of said carpet in tension; and a plurality of secondary fasteners mounted on and projecting upwardly from said strip and inclined toward the opposite edge thereof for engaging said -edge of said carpet to restrain said edge against movement in directions which would release said edge from said primary fasteners, said primary and secondary fasteners being arranged in substantially parallel rows and each of said rows being constituted by interspersed primary and secondary fasteners for equalizingthe tension of the edge of said carpet.

2. In a carpet retaining device, the combination of: a mounting strip having opposed longitudinal edges; a first row consisting of interspersed primary and secondary fasteners, said primary and secondary fasteners being respectively inclined toward opposite edges of said strip; and a second row of primary and secondary fasteners, the primary and secondary fasteners in said second row being respectively inclined t0- ward opposite edges of said strip, the primary fasteners in said first row being positioned opposite the secondary fasteners in said second row and the primary fasteners in said second row being positioned opposite the secondary fasteners in said first row.

3. In a carpet retaining device, the combination of: a mounting strip having opposed longitudinal edges; a first row of interspersed primary and secondary fasteners, said primary and secondary fasteners being respectively inclined toward opposite edges of said mounting strip; and a second row of primary and secondary fasteners, the primary and secondary fasteners in said second row being respectively inclined toward opposite edges of said mounting strip, the primary fasteners in said first row being positioned opposite the secondary fasteners in said second row and the primary fasteners in said second row being positioned opposite the secondary fasteners in said first row, adjacent pairs of primary and secondary fasteners disposed in the rst and second rows opposite each other having their longitudinal axes converging and diverging in an upward direction.

ROY M. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS y Number Name Date 831,179 McDonagh Sept. 18, 1906 1,847,373 Awbrey Mar. 1, 1932 2,238,946 Roberts Apr. 22, 1941 2,258,314 Bonnell Oct. 7, 1941 2,514,335 Owens July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date y 110,463 Australia May 9, 1940 

